This Year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Will Be Nostalgic Whilst Offering ‘Something New’

As reported by Variety, Macy’s and NBC will do some things (but not all things) differently for this year’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. NBC Entertainment’s executive vice president of special programs Doug Vaughan commented on the game plan for the parade, saying “you want nostalgia, because a lot of people do tune in, and they want to see what they remember seeing when they were young. But then you also want something new.”

The network plans to tap into viewers / attendees’ nostalgia by bringing back some of the Thanksgiving Day Parade’s staples, including the Tom Turkey opening float, Al Roker hitting the streets, celebrity interviews, Broadway performances, and (of course) lots and lots of floats. In an effort to do “something new” though, Macy’s and NBC will be implementing the following changes to the annual event:

– Al Roker will be hitting the streets of NYC on a motorcycle featuring “a rig that will allow for 360-degree views.”

– A pre-taped “cold open” to the show that culminates in a “big live finish at the start of the parade route.”

– A live performance by Kelly Clarkson to bring “star power into the parade in a different format.”

– A makeover of the iconic “Tom Turkey” float featuring “a new paint job and more bells and whistles attached.”

As event producers ourselves, we understand the tremendous importance of striking the right balance when tackling a longstanding annual event. It’s crucial to ensure that things never come across as stale and dated in an effort to attract new audiences, yet you don’t want to disappoint existing fans by changing too much too soon. It’s not a straightforward undertaking, but we commend Macy’s and NBC for giving it a try! We’ll definitely be tuning in to see how it goes (and of course to see Al Roker on a motorcycle…)